Hello friends and welcome back to my blog this beautiful day. The moment I saw this particular prompt for week 76 edition 3, a lot of things ran through my mind. I thought of sharing one story that happened to my friend, but on the other hand, I decided to push that aside because I have something also that affected me directly about someoñe been ungrateful to me. And this person happens to be someone I respect alot. I call her Mom because that is what she really is to me. I took her like my own, but at the end, she showed me that she never saw anything good that I ever did that will warrant her to be grateful in anyway.
Well, that was just a preamble, let's move straight to the topic of the day. I lived and grew up with my aunt and I don't really know what to call what happened at the end of my fourteen years with her. I never came out better, instead I became a mirror of myself.
I started living with her from 1982. As a little girl I came into her life with a clean mind. I call her mummy because I was separated from my mum at a very tender age. So, I had no choice than to make her my mum because I actually needed someone as a mother figure for me. She became my mum. Infact at a time I started forgetting about my mother because we hardly visit home. Things were actually moving well between us from the on set. From that my tender age I move around every area in Bukuru, Jos. I sold everything sellable. I made all sorts of gain for her. I practically forgot about myself. I don't even know that there was this future waiting for me that I need to prepare for it. I just kept growing without any plans. Immediately I finished my primary school I had to stop schooling because that was what she wanted. I don't even know that one can become anything good in life with education. so I thought that she was helping me by asking me to drop from school. First it was because I don't understand anything in school. So, I was asked to drop out of school that school is not meant for everyone. I cried that day because I never wanted to live school. But I have no say of my own, so I accepted my fate. I moved on without school at that tender age.
She also promised to help me learn a trade. I was then taking to a lady that have a tailoring center to learn how to make clothes. Before I could stay there for about a month, the lady told me that my aunt refused to pay her so I should live the shop and never come back again. I left the shop and went home to ask my aunt what happened that I was asked to live the shop. She told me to my face that she don't have money to pay for me, that I should learn how to cater for myself. I looked up and down and no one to help but just God. I thought to myself that if my father was alive I won't even be in Jos to live with my aunt. I started living without any education and without any skills too.
My aunt never saw anything good in what I have done for her. I lived all my life in the street just because I was busy making money for her. I moved out of the house as early as 5 am to sell pap all over the place before coming back to prepare for school. I go to school without any food only for me to come back and still make the food that we will eat. I will still go out for afternoon round. This time I will either sell orange or any fruit available. Then in the evening we will all come out to fry akara and chicken 🐔 meat to sell. We will stay there till eleven pm or even up to 12 am before going to bed. Remember that I will still wake up very early the next morning to sell pap. But at the end of our stay it was from one complain to the other by my aunt. She laid lots of complain against me that made me even had problem with my real mom and my elder sisters. That was how we started living apart. At the end I had to start living with a friend in Jos who allowed me stay in her house till I am able to get a place of my own. I started selling 🍞 to make a living. It was a very tough life for me. But I decided to face life in that way. I started learning how to fend for myself from the age of seventeen. Thank God that I didn't end up as a prostitute, because some days I will sleep without food because I didn't make any sells to make gain so as to buy food for myself. I cried most of the night.
LESSONS FROM THAT EXPERIENCE
I know to me as at that time it was very rough. But I still thank God for those experiences of hardship and always been on the road trying to make money. Today I can survive any situation I find myself because I have faced it rough before. Because of that experience too I have decided not to give any of my child to any friend or even relative. I will stay with them. Even not for anything the bound of mother and child should be there. I lost that bound because I never stayed with my mom as I was growing up.
STILL CLOSE TILL AHE PASSED AWAY YEARS BACK.
Though at first, I wasn't happy with her because of the way she treated me. I had this hatred for her for a little time, but I had to let go and still move closer to her and we became friends again. When I was about to get married she was the first person I took my husband to and she guided me on what to do. When I started making money, she was the first to eat the little money that I made at that time. I did it just to say thanks to her for all the help she gave me all through My life. The Bible ask us to forgive and that was the exact thing that I did.
This post was inspired by the hive learners community contest for week 76 edition 3.
